The present invention relates to an automatic teller system and a method of operating same.
Current automatic teller systems allow a user to withdraw cash from an automatic teller machine (ATM) by first inputting a credit card into a card reader and thereafter entering a personal identification number (PIN number) on a keypad. The system determines that the user is authorized to make a withdrawal on the basis of the correctness of the PIN number, and thereafter determines the credit limit for that particular credit card. The system thereafter prompts the user on a display for the amount of cash to be withdrawn, and the user enters the cash amount on the keypad. The request is processed up to the credit limit, and cash is dispensed to the user.
In recent years, it has become common for thieves to pray on automatic teller machine users, by either accosting the user after completing a transaction or by inducing the user under the threat of force to make a withdrawal from the user's account.
The current systems such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,359,630; 5,029,290; 5,103,079; 5,095,196; 4,801,787; 4,798,941; 4,650,980; and 4,304,990 have no way in which to enable the user to signal that either there is a fear of being accosted upon finishing the transaction or that the transaction is being entered into under duress.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,032 a transaction processing system is disclosed wherein when card is reported lost or stolen by a user, its subsequent unauthorized use triggers a mode wherein the transaction is delayed to detain the unlawful user. No use is made of a PIN number.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,675,815 a system is described wherein a bank employee at a remote location who is crediting funds to an account can enter a predetermined code in place of another entry to indicate an unlawful transfer. This system does not utilize a PIN number for each transaction and uses a single code for all users to signal a problem.